Tigers down Sri Lanka by two wickets in T20 World Cup thriller

Towhid Hridoy's aggression and Litton Das' calmness backed up the heroic effort from the Bangladesh bowlers and handed Sri Lanka a two-wicket defeat in a tense T20 World Cup game at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas.

With the win over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh now are a better-placed team of the two to make the Super Eight. 

Nuwan Thushara (four for 18) brought Sri Lanka back in the game from nowhere and at one stage, Bangladesh needed 11 off the last two overs with just two wickets in hand, but Mahmudullah (16* off 13), the crisis man for the Tigers, finished the 125-run chase with a cool head.

Defending a modest total, Thushara and Dhananjaya de Silva reduced Bangladesh to 28-3 in no time. 

Hridoy walked out to the middle to join Litton when Bangladesh were a bit panic-stricken following the loss of three early wickets. 

Hridoy was busy in the middle but Litton curbed his instincts in a partnership of contrasts. 

The 12th over bowled by Sri Lanka captain Wanindu Hasaranga was the game-breaker as Hridoy smashed three maximums to bring the required run rate down big time.

Hasaranga had the last laugh but not before the 23-year-old dasher took the game away from Sri Lanka. Hridoy added a game-changing 63 off just 38 with Litton. 

Hridoy made 40 off just 20 with the help of a four and two sixes.

Sri Lanka tried to claw their way back with the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (36 off 38) and Rishad Hossain but fell just short. 

Rishad and Mustafizur shared six wickets between them. At one stage, Sri Lanka looked set for a total somewhere around 160 but Bangladesh strangled Sri Lanka in the late middle and death overs. 

From 100-3, Sri Lanka were limited to a below-par 124-9. 

Taskin was the bowler to draw first blood when he had the last laugh in a battle between him and Kusal Mendis in the second over of the match.

Mendis, who has a superb record against Bangladesh, started off with two boundaries off Taskin but the right-arm quick corrected himself quickly to clean him up off an inside edge.

Sri Lanka were still off to a flying start (53-2 in six overs) courtesy of Pathum Nissanka's onslaught against Shakib Al Hasan. Nissanka toyed with the field in the fifth over bowled by Shakib and struck four boundaries. 

But the experienced Mustafizur struck in consecutive overs to get rid of number three Kamindu Mendis and the dangerous Nissanka (47 off 28) to limit Sri Lanka to 70-3 in the ninth over.

Rishad extracted a considerable amount of turn and bounce and that coupled with Mustafizur's variations and Taskin's accuracy helped Bangladesh stem the run flow in the middle overs. 

Rishad, on his T20 World Cup debut, got the reward of his good work with the ball as he sent back Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga in the 15th over. Sri Lanka were 100-5 then.

Sri Lanka were in further trouble when Litton Das' sharp glovework saw Dhananjaya de Silva walk back to the pavilion. It was leg-spinner Rishad's third wicket.

Taskin finished the spell with a superb 18th over where he banged the ball short mostly and got the wicket of Sri Lanka's finisher Dasun Shanaka. 

Mustafizur returned three for 18 bowling in all three phases of the game.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib chipped in with the wicket of Angelo Mathews in the final over.

Sri Lanka could manage only one boundary in the slog overs.